


Seven Merry Days to Fall in Love

by rekallthirteen



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blow Jobs, Christmas, Christmas Smut, Cross Country Skiing, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Ice Skating, M/M, Masturbation, Riding, Smut, Snow, Snowball Fight, Vacation, Wall Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-08 23:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12875736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rekallthirteen/pseuds/rekallthirteen
Summary: Six months ago, Richard booked a Christmas getaway at a remote winter lodge for him and his boyfriend.Four months ago, the boyfriend suddenly walked out of his life.Faced with a non-refundable trip, Richard decides to go on vacation anyway, even if it means missing on visiting his family at Christmas. At first he can't help feel he's made a mistake, that is until he encounters a noisy family from Texas and finds himself falling for Lee, eldest son and uncle to three adorable kids.





	Seven Merry Days to Fall in Love

He should have just ate the cost. Richard knew that now, just accepted that was a several thousand dollar lost and gone visit his family in the UK where at the moment he could be eating mince pie or playing with his niece and nephew. Yes, he would be throwing money away, money he couldn't afford to throw away at the moment since he was trying to cover the expenses on his New York apartment all by himself now but he would have been happier.

Instead however he found himself in remote lodge in northern Canada (Richard was pretty sure at the moment if asked he couldn't even point to Yellowknife on a map even though he flew in yesterday), at Christmas. The worst time of the year to be completely alone, especially when everyone else got to be with their friends and family.

Richard sighed as he took another sip of his drink, the liquor not working fast enough to get him nice and drunk. It wasn't supposed to be this way, lonely, sitting at the lodge's bar with few other guests around, likely all of them thinking he was pathetic. He had hidden in his room for most of the day, finally venturing down to the bar and restaurant when it seemed like he could get drunk without anyone judging him. 

Six months ago when he had booked the trip everything had been fine, great actually. Ryan wasn't fond of the holidays due to bad experiences when he was a child. Even Christmas with Richard's family made him uncomfortable. So they had an agreement, every other year they would spend it in the UK with Richard's family and the other times they would take a trip somewhere. Last time had been the Bahamas so they were both looking for a completely different experience together. 

At least Richard thought they both were.

It was four months ago when everything in his life had turned upside down. He came home from work to find a half empty apartment. After frantic calls to Ryan that went unanswered and after contacting everyone he could think of that knew Ryan without any results, Richard had finally checked his email and found a message from Ryan admitting that he had been unhappy for awhile so he was moving to California for a new start. 

It had crushed Richard, turned him into a zombie for months with work being the only thing that had kept him going. For a while he had completely forgotten about the Christmas trip, until he started receiving notifications about it. At that point he decided to say 'fuck it', go and enjoy himself anyway, he didn't need Ryan to make him happy.

Only now at the lodge he couldn't help but think he made a mistake.

There were others on vacation, some couples, others as a family, which made Richard long for what he didn't have; a partner to spend the rest of his life with, or family he could visit whenever he wanted. For the first time in ten years he wondered if he should just pack up his life and move back to London. At least there his family would only be a few hours away, not an entire ocean, but he still did love New York, it was his home.

"Do you want anything to eat yet?" The bartender asked, a pretty brunette whose nametag read 'Alice'. Not that Richard had any interest in women. It seemed like fate was against him because there weren't even any hot single men for him to bang. 

Instead of drunkenly venting his thoughts to her about the lack of hot available men, he simply shook his head. "No."

"Are you sure?" she replied, giving him a sympathetic smile. "We have a lot of delicious food here and eating something might make you forget your troubles."

For not the first time since he arrived Richard got the feeling everyone knew exactly what happened to him. A part of him wanted to be bitter and lash out at her for not minding her own business, but that really wasn't him, he couldn't bring himself to do that. "Am I that obvious?" 

She shrugged. "Christmas is in a few days and you're here alone. Believe it or not, it has happened before."

"And how do those situations turn out?"

"Some end up where you are, others try and make the best out of the situation." With a smile she leaned forward, her forearms braced on the edge of the bar. "My advice, be the latter. Take in the sights and have an adventure. Learn you're better off without whoever dumped you."

"That's easier said than done."

"I could show you, if you'd like."

"I'm sorry, but…" It was always awkward admitting he was gay since he never knew how the person would react. "I'm not… I mean…"

"It's okay," she replied with a wink. "I'm not here to judge you, just serve drinks and food, whenever you're ready for it."

At the new mention of food, Richard felt the rumbling in his stomach. It had been a while since he had eaten anything, after Ryan left food had been more a necessity when he remembered it, not something he did out of enjoyment, so often forgo eating when he didn't think about it. "I think I will see a menu."

With a smile she handed him one before moving off to deal with another customer. He barely began reading it however when there was a distracting loud chatter behind him from the adjoining dining room. Turning his head to find out what was going on, Richard immediately wished he hadn't.

He had seen the family earlier that day at breakfast and they were just as loud then. They were one of the larger families staying at the lodge at the moment, an older couple (the grandparents no doubt), a woman with her husband, three kids (a girl and two boys), and a tall man who Richard assumed was the brother of the woman or her husband, likely the woman since there there were similar features between the older couple, the woman and the tall man.

As they chatted, Richard couldn't help but overhear their adventure that afternoon of learning how to build an igloo together with one of the instructors from the lodge. Under normal circumstances he would probably find their conversation a bit interesting but at the moment he simply wasn't in the mood to hear about their great time.

"Are they always like this?" Richard asked Alice the bartender as she came back over to take his order.

"They just arrived here yesterday but from what I've seen, yes." She gave him a sympathetic look. "I can ask them to be quieter if you'd like."

It was a tempting offer but instead Richard shook his head. "No." His poor mood shouldn't bring down an entire family. Although in the back of his mind he was already thinking that since they arrived at the same time he did he would likely have to put up with them for his entire trip.

It was going to be a long week.

As he waited for his food he tried blocking out the noisy chatter, wishing he had brought headphones with him so he could at least listen to music which would cancel out the noise and allow him to disappear back into his own sorrows.

After about ten minutes the chatter finally started to subside and Richard began to think he just might escape with quietness for the rest of dinner where he could then retreat back to his room, when all of a sudden he felt a presence behind him moment before a voice spoke.

"Excuse me?" Turning his head Richard found the tall man from the family. He was smiling brightly, it was the type that lit up his eyes (why did he have to have a nice smile?). "But can you take a picture of us?" It was then that Richard saw the phone in his hand.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say 'no', that he didn't want to be bothered, but with the way the guy was looking at him, Richard couldn't help himself. "Okay." He was such a sucker for a pretty face.

"Great." It seemed impossible but the smile grew larger.

As Richard followed the guy back to the table, his eyes couldn't help but fall upon the man's shoulders. They were nice and broad with long arms, long legs too with a nice ass to match. Richard wasn't use to encountering someone who was taller than him, even if it was only by a few inches. 

When the man got seated back at the table with his family, Richard quickly took two pictures before handing him back the phone. "Thanks," he said and Richard just nodded his head before retreating back to the bar where Alice was setting down his plate of chicken fettuccine.

While he ate, the chatter behind him started up again and he silently wished their own food would soon arrive so they would be quiet since it would be hard for them to talk with food in their mouths. 

Finishing as fast as he could without making himself sick, Richard quickly paid his bill so that he could retreat back to his room where it was quiet and where he could do his own thing before heading to bed early and try not be tormented by dreams.

Unfortunately he only made it to the lodge's lobby. 

"Hey, wait!" Richard turned towards the voice. It was the tall guy again, who was briskly walking towards him. "I just wanted to thank you again for the pictures you took."

"It's not a problem." Richard just wanted to get out of there. 

"I also want to apologize, I know we were being a bit loud." A bit was an understatement. "It's our first full day here and the kids were really excited since they don't normally see snow, we're from Texas."

He didn't sound like he had a Texan accent but Richard wasn't going to call him out on it, he just wanted to go back to his room. "It's fine."

"I'm Lee Pace."

An introduction was not what he expected. "Richard Armitage." And again Richard found himself looking at Lee's brilliant smile, even though he wasn't sure why giving his name got that result.

"I hope to see you around again." Taking a step backwards he began heading back into the restaurant. "And don't worry, I'll keep them quieter next time."

All Richard could do was watch until Lee turned around and then slowly shake his head as he headed up the staircase that led to the handful of rooms inside the lodge. Most people stayed in one of the cabins that were located nearby and Richard has almost gone with that option when booking the place but fortunately at the last minute he decided to stay at the lodge itself, which was good because he really wasn't sure if he would be able to handle staying in a cabin all by himself. At least with staying in the lodge, he had the staff to interact with on a regular basis and be around people who were coming and going, busy with their own lives.

In his room there was little options for activities. A quick glance through the TV channels told him there wasn't much on and the Internet was spotty so watching anything on it was likely not an option. A brief thought went through his head of looking through his porn folder on his laptop, but in he decided he wasn't in the mood. Instead he ended up changing into a pair of sweatpants and curled up in bed with one of the books he had brought with him. 

As the hours went by he was aware when his eyelids began to drop and did nothing to stop it even as the book slipped from his fingers as he fell asleep.

The next morning he actually felt rested for a change. It helped that at breakfast he didn't see Lee and his noisy family, he wasn't sure if it was because they had already gone out for the day or were getting a late start but Richard told himself it didn't matter as long as he got to eat in peace at his small table in the corner. 

Energized from the eggs and bacon, Richard decided to try out one of the activities that the lodge offered. Cross-country skiing seemed like a safe bet. While he's never done it before he did enjoy downhill skiing, the only reason why he didn't book a vacation at a ski resort is because Ryan hadn't liked skiing and Richard wanted a place where they would both have plenty of activities to keep them happy for the week.

The lodge had all the equipment he needed to rent for his adventure out into the snow and they provided instructions, showed him how to move on the skis around the lodge before he felt comfortable enough to head out on one of the trails, which was where Richard soon found himself. 

The skis glided across the snow, trees all around him, peaceful and quiet with only the sounds of nature keeping him company. He wasn't worried about getting lost, he was assured that the trail was marked (it was and it was hard to miss the blue arrows on the tree trunks) and that it would eventually loop him around back to the lodge. 

Despite being in good shape, it was more tiring than he expected and he was glad, on the advice from the lodge, he selected on one of the easier paths. Every so often he stopped, not because he needed a break (at least that's what he told himself) but to simply take in the scenery, enjoy life. For the first time in a long time he allowed himself to slow down and appreciate the world around him.

Eventually, as he looped around the trail, he began seeing one of the lodge's cabins that were scattered near the main building. It caused him to pick up his pace, ready to relax for a bit while he decided he wanted to do next.

He was so focused on his goal he didn't notice that anyone else was around.

"Watch out!" a voice cried seconds before Richard felt something cold and wet hit the side of his face, knocking his sunglasses clean off his face which landed in the snow at his feet. "Shit," the voice continued, even though Richard was still unsure of what was going on. "I am so sorry!" 

Lee.

Richard stared at him as his hurried over, not quite sure what he was seeing, his eyes blinking in the bright sun, before looking at the ground to find where his sunglasses went. Lee was faster though, scooping them up and handing them to Richard with a guilty look on his face. "They're not broken are they? I'll buy you a new pair if they are."

He looked so adorable with the worried expression on his face that Richard found it impossible not to smile. "It's just snow, they're fine." A quick inspection before returning them to his face proved him right.

"Uncle Lee, did you get in trouble?" a new voice asked, it was then Richard realized that they were not alone and Lee wasn't just randomly throwing snow around. The three children were standing nearby, looking at them with wide eyes.

"No, everything's fine." He quickly glanced at Richard, a pleading, hopeful look on his face. "Right?"

A nod. "Right."

Relief washed over Lee's face before turning his attention back to his nephews and niece, giving them a stern look. "I know you wanted a snowball fight but I think we should find some other activity for the time being."

There were looks of disappointment throughout all three faces. Even Lee looked like he was struggling to stay positive about the situation.

Richard couldn't let that happen.

Moving behind Lee, Richard stepped out of the skis and dropped the ski poles next to them, before holding up one finger to his lips that the kids could see but not their uncle. He then scooped up the biggest pile of snow he could manage and dropped it down on Lee's head who yelped in surprised and gave a dirty look as he danced around, trying to brush away the snow before it slipped down inside his jacket. The kids meanwhile almost killed themselves laughing at the sight before them.

"You deserved that," Richard said, unable to hold back his own laughter. 

In a swift move Lee reached down and quickly packed together a ball of snow and threw it at Richard who ducked out of the way, his laughter continuing as the snowball sailed safely over his head. 

What followed was a free for all with snowballs being thrown in every direction. The kids had taken a cue from their uncle that Richard was okay and it was fine for him to join their game. At some point during the chaos he learned that the girl was Emily, while the boys were Noah and Owen.

Eventually the game turned with the kids ganging up on Richard and Lee, who despite having a size advantage didn't have the stamina of children who laughed as they ran about, making it hard to hit them.

"I think we're outnumbered," Richard said to Lee as they found each other standing back-to-back as they desperately tried to fend off the advancing kids. 

"There's only one thing we can do..." While Richard couldn't see Lee's face, he just knew he was smiling, but he didn't expect what happened next. "Switch sides!"

Before Richard's mind could register what Lee said, he felt him move away and before he knew what was happening, he was pelted by snowballs from all sides until he fell to the ground, laughing, and attempted to crawl away. It was only then did the pelting of wet balls of snow stopped.

"Here," Lee said with a chuckle as he extended a hand to help Richard up. A brief thought went through Richard's head to grab the hand and drag Lee down with him but instead he took the hand and allowed Lee to haul him up. As he steadied himself on two feet, his eyes glanced up, surprised to find Lee's face only inches away and he felt his face go red.

He needed to retreat. 

Leave before he embarrassed himself.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he stepped away and began busying himself the skis he had discarded earlier. "I should get going and return these before the lodge thinks I got lost out on the trail."

"I should also soon get the kids back before their mom thinks we got eaten by bears."

"Bears hibernate, Uncle Lee," Emily protested from where she and her brothers were creating snow angels.

Richard didn't bother holding back his chuckle. "She has you there."

"If you ever want to know anything about animals, you know who to ask." Again Lee gave that brilliant smile that Richard found himself liking so much and one that he knew he had to be careful around. "I'm a bit surprised I wasn't out in the woods looking for animal tracks all day."

"That's probably tomorrow's activity."

"Don't give them ideas."

"Uncle Lee!" the kids began calling for him, complaining they were hungry and wanted a treat.

"I should go," he said with a sigh and Richard couldn't help but hear the hint of disappointment in his voice. So he did the only thing he could do and gave Lee a reassuring smile.

"I really need to get going too."

Getting back on the skis (it seemed like a lifetime ago since he had gotten off them), he began the trek back to the ski rental so he could turn in the equipment. Once everything had been handed over (along with a flimsy excuse he had fallen over a few times to explain the delay and the snow sticking to his ski suit), he headed into the lodge, wanting a hot bath to warm him up. While the lodge did have hot tubs, Richard wasn't too keen on the idea of stripping down to barely nothing when it was so cold outside, instead preferring the privacy of his room where as soon as he entered he immediately started running the water to draw a hot bath.

As the tub filled with water he went through his playlist before finding a relaxing song he wanted to start with, before stripping naked, dropping his clothes in pile in the corner where he would pick them up later.

By that point his bath was ready and he lowered himself down in the hot water, loving the way the heat felt against his cold skin, and as he closed his eyes he thought back to earlier. When he started the day he never expected to get into a snowball fight with some kids and a guy he had just met yesterday. It had been fun, He missed having fun, for the last four months all he had done was go through the motions of living, using work as a distraction, even taking it home with him on the weekends. Playing with the kids and Lee was just what he needed, it made him forget about how lonely he was. 

His eyes flickered open as a thought occurred to him; did he miss Ryan or did he miss the way Ryan made him feel?

It was something he needed to think about some more.

But that could happen another time, at the moment he just wanted to relax. His eyes closed once more as he sunk lower so that his chin touched the water, allowing the music to carry him away, leaving all his thoughts behind him.

When the water eventually began cooling, Richard decided he had enough. After towelling off, he wrapped himself in a fluffy white robe and retreated back to the other room where he stretched out on the bed, his eyes flickering closed as soon as he rested his head on the soft pillow.

It wasn't Richard's intention to fall asleep, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. He couldn't remember the last time he could really relax, normally getting around five hours of sleep a night. It didn't use to be that way, not until Ryan left.

It was dark when Richard woke, not that it was a surprise given how early sunset was. Standing up, Richard undid the ties of his robe, allowing it to slip from his shoulders before he casually tossed it to a nearby chair before walking in the nude (there was simply something freeing about being naked) to the dresser to find some clean clothes.

After dressing and collecting his book, Richard headed downstairs to the restaurant. It was too early to eat and while he could read in his room, Richard instead chose to settle down in one of the comfortable chairs near the massive fireplace, enjoying the warmth. As he opened the book to where the bookmark was sticking out of it and set it aside as he began to read where he quickly became lost in his own world, only barely aware when someone sat down in the chair next to him.

"What are you reading?" Normally a question like that, disturbing him when he didn't want to be bothered, would annoy Richard but he was rapidly becoming use that voice so instead he smiled and held up the cover so Lee could see it. "I read it a few months ago, I thought the beginning was a bit slow but it really picked up after the halfway point with a powerful ending. How are you liking it?"

"It is slow," Richard admitted. "But I think it needs to be because the two friends are struggling with their feelings for each other."

"When you're attracted to someone you shouldn't ignore it."

"It's not that easy," Richard replied with a small shake of his head. "There are plenty of reasons why someone should ignore it when they're attracted to a person."

"Like what?" Leaning across the arm of the chair, Lee was staring at him and Richard felt himself growing warm under his gaze.

"They could be co-workers. Or one could already be in a relationship with someone else. Or maybe one person is straight while the other is gay."

Or they could live in two different states. 

"Those are fair points," Lee said as he nodded his head and to Richard's relief (or perhaps disappointment) leaned back into his chair. "The reason I came over is to thank you again for helping with the kids today. They see me as their cool uncle and I'd like them to be a little older before that facade cracked and they find out I'm just a giant dork."

"Giant dorks can be fun too." Lee laughed at his words which caused Richard to smile. "Besides, I didn't mind, it was fun. Where are they anyway? I can't believe they passed out already."

"Out at the bonfire with their parents and mine, toasting marshmallows." Pausing briefly, a small chuckle escaped Lee. "Actually it's more like they're lighting their marshmallows on fire and then eating the results. Burnt crisp on the outside, gooey inside."

"That sounds a bit dangerous."

"The key is in the stick. You need one long enough to keep you away from the bonfire but short enough that it isn't difficult to blow out the flaming marshmallow."

Richard laughed. "It sounds like you're an expert."

"We camped a lot when I was a kid."

"And now you're teaching the next generation, I'm sure your sister is thrilled."

"She was right there next to me when we were children. Currently she's helping Owen since he's the youngest and she doesn't want him hurting himself."

Richard simply smiled as he shook his head. He almost didn't believe Lee. A normal person he wouldn't have believed, but he had seen Lee's lightheartedness for himself earlier that day and Richard could see his sister being just as crazy as he was.

"Do you want to join us? I can't guarantee how many marshmallows are left though."

The question caught Richard by surprised. "I don't want to intrude… I already did that once today with your family."

"You didn't intrude and the kids would love to see you again."

Richard highly doubted that. He was just a stranger who played with them a few hours but that time had passed. On the other hand, he did want to spend more time with Lee. Lee was nice, easy to talk too, and Richard wasn't afraid to admit he was also easy on the eyes.

"Dinner then? You can join us any time so you don't have to be alone."

Again there was hesitation from Richard as he thought about how he wanted to reply, unfortunately he didn't get a chance to say anything before Lee spoke again.

"I know, I shouldn't bother you. You came here to be alone and here I am bugging you." There was a small, forced smile of politeness as Lee stood up. "I'll leave you alone."

No. 

Richard didn't want it to end that way.

"You're not bothering me," he quickly said, grabbing hold of Lee's wrist before he had a chance to leave. "I like the company. I'm just… I'm not use to it."

His own niece and nephew were around the kid's ages but Richard only saw them typically once a year. His own parents were also older than Lee's and he doubted they'd be so willing to let a stranger into their lives. There was also the fact that the large majority of his social life had disappeared over the past four months. Yes, he still went out with friends (especially when he was dragged out), but it was only ever a few of them at a time and they were friends he had known for years.

"Some other time?" he asked, trying to make it up to Lee and hoping he didn't sound too desperate or pathetic. Fortunately Lee smiled, a genuine smile not like the one a few moments ago.

"I'll see you later, Rich."

 _Rich_. 

The name warmed him. Everyone always called him 'Richard', but he certainly didn't mind Lee being different, liked it in fact, because he never met a person like Lee before. Normally it took him a while to get use to new people, but Lee could already make him smile with just a look.

It took a while before Richard was able to get back to his book and when he did, every so often he would lift his head to look around to see if Lee ever returned. And later that night, when Richard was back alone in his room, the last thoughts he had before going to sleep were of a certain tall Texan.

The next day Richard woke bright and early, he was resting better than he had in a long time, which surprised him since he figured the quietness of the place would make it difficult to sleep after living in New York City for so long. He was use to the loudness of the city around him.

His mood soured slightly when he arrived at breakfast to find the Pace family already finished, passing by him as he entered the restaurant. Breakfast was more casual and quicker than dinner so he was hoping that Lee's open invitation would apply, but unfortunately that was going to have to wait until another day.

After a quick 'hello', Lee mouthed the word 'skating' to him before he disappeared, trailing the rest of his family out of the lodge. And that was how, after a quick breakfast, Richard found himself at the frozen lake with a pair of rented skates, the laces tied together and slung over his shoulder so he could carry them.

Only part of the lake was clear for skating, beyond the designated area there was an odd fish hut (the staff had helpfully informed him that the fish normally weren't biting that time of the year but some of their guests wanted to try the experience anyway), and beyond that there were snowmobiles zipping around the ice as they raced around.

Stepping onto the ice Richard made his way over to skating area. A hockey net was set up at one end and Richard could already tell that the kids were taking turns taking shots at the net with a variety of results, their parents nearby, cheering them on.

Temporary wooden benches were set up so Richard could sit down, take off his boots and put on his skates. As he stood, he wobbled, not used to the skates, but fortunately he regained his balance without falling over. He actually couldn't remember the last time he had gone skating; probably a date with Ryan over a year ago.

Before he even began to move Lee skated over to him. He was not graceful but at least he was moving, which was more than what Richard could say abouot him. "You came!" 

He sounded surprised and Richard had to hold back from wincing, he didn't want Lee to think he wasn't interested in spending time with him. "It seemed liked a good idea but now I'm not sure I'm able to move."

"Take my hand." It was an offer which Richard gladly accepted, although he found himself wishing that neither of them were wearing gloves. It was a thought he quickly shoved out of his head, he needed to focus or else he really would fall.

Slowly they made their way their way across the ice, at one point Richard felt his foot slip but it was Lee's strength, gripping his hand tightly, that kept him up. "If I fall, I'm taking you down with me," he warned Lee who smiled.

"I won't let you fall."

"How did the kids get so good?" Near the hockey net, the kids had given up taking shots on the net and instead decided to race each othe They weren't as smooth as they could be but they were nowhere near as awkward as the adults.

"They were practicing with rollerblades before the trip. Plus they're like sponges, an instructor was here before you arrived and they soaked up what he showed them."

"I wish I had been smart enough to practice." To be fair, skating was not at the top of his list of activities that he wanted to do while on vacation. He was only there because Lee was there and he wanted to spend time with him.

"So do I."

Richard shook his head. "Yeah, but at least you have the excuse you're from Texas, I live in Chelsea, that's-"

"I know where Chelsea is," Lee quickly replied, cutting him off, which surprised Richard.

"You know New York?"

There was a smile from Lee. "You could say that." And Richard found himself wondering if Lee took a lot of vacations there or something. "Actually I…"

Before Lee could finish what he was saying Richard's foot slipped again, this time falling towards Lee who quickly raised his other arm to catch him, his grip lingering for a moment even after he was completely sure that Richard was steady again. 

"I think I should give up before I break an ankle," Richard said with a laugh, but he did nothing to move away, not that he could even if he wanted too.

"That might be a good idea." There were no hard feelings in his smile. Richard suspected they both realized that skating was not an activity that he should be doing. Although Richard hoped that Lee wasn't disappointed in him. "I'd hate it if something happened to you because of me."

"Just one thing?" Richard asked, nervousness in his voice. He really wanted to get out of the skates.

"What's that?"

"Help me back to the bench."

Lee laughed as they made their way back over to the bench with no more slips along the way. It almost made Richard want to keep going, even if he could just cling to Lee for a bit longer, but at the same time he really was worried about breaking something and was grateful when he plopped down on the wooden beach, especially when Lee sat down next to him.

"I was much better with the skis yesterday," Richard said as he undid the laces of the first skate and pulled it off his foot, holding his leg up so his wouldn't have to touch the ice with his sock as he found his boot. It wasn't long before he repeated the action with his second foot and only then did he begin to relax.

"I haven't tried that one yet, my parents are off doing it today." It was only then that Richard realized that the elderly Paces were nowhere to be seen. He had been so focused on Lee he hadn't noticed. "We should go together sometime."

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Lee if he wanted to go right now, but a joyful cry from one of the boys caught his attention before he was able too. He couldn't take Lee away from his family when everyone else was having fun. "I'd like that."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Snowmobiles were still out further on the ice, racing around. It didn't seem such a bad idea to try it since it seemed safer than skating. Plus at least he could still be close to where Lee was.

"Cross-country skiing?"

"You want to go now?" That made no sense to Richard, why go off with someone he barely knew when his family was right there who he could spend time with. Lee wasn't the greatest skater either but at least he managed to stay upright and therefore likely didn't hate the activity as much as Richard did.

Lee shrugged. "Why not?"

He still didn't get it. "But your family…"

"Will be fine without me for a few hours." His smile was so warm, that Richard couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Okay."

"Give me a minute." With that Lee stood and Richard watched as he skated over to his sister, informed her of the new plans, before skating back and sitting down once again so he could switch from his skates to his winter boots. When Lee was ready, they walked back to the rental building together to hand in their skates and get some skis. 

After that it wasn't long until they were gliding across the snow.

"Much easier," Richard said as they moved side by side on the wide path. It was a different route than Richard took the day before but the employee at the rentals building told them it was still an easy path for them, one that looped near the lake.

"I have to admit this is better," Lee agreed. He had picked up the method to the skis quickly, keeping up with Richard without a problem. Richard was proud of him for making it look easy.

It wasn't long before the path narrowed as they went through a clump of trees, Richard letting Lee go first. His intention (or at least what he told himself) was he would be able to keep an eye on Lee in case the other man got in trouble, not that Richard had much more experience on the skis, but instead his eyes fell to Lee's ass and long legs. Even with the padding of ski pants, it was still nice to look at.

If only he could reach out and touch it.

No. 

That was wrong. 

He shouldn't be thinking of such things. 

Even if there was no harm in looking, he didn't want to make things awkward between them when they still had to finish out the week. Plus Lee was on a family vacation, it seemed wrong to think such things about someone when his family was around.

"We have a hill," Lee said as he came to a stop. As Richard stopped behind him, he peaked around Lee to take a look. It was just a small one, nothing to be concerned about.

"Do you want me to go first?"

"It might be better." Stepping to the side, there was just enough room for Richard to slide pass. He glanced quickly at Lee who was smiling at him, he was glad to see that Lee was enjoying himself. 

The hill was only a small one but there was a curve in the middle of it. It wasn't particularly hard for Richard, he had encountered a couple of hills like that yesterday without too much difficulty. He just had to remember to keep his balance, try not to panic when the speed picked up and come to a gentle stop, which is exactly what happened. When he was down the hill, he stepped as close to the trees as possible and waited for Lee who he could still see at the top, looking down at him.

"Okay?" he called.

"Yeah."

Lee's start at the top of the hill was normal and he made the first part of the curb fine, but as he reached the bottom of the hill he misjudged his balance and toppled over onto his side before he skidding to a stop.

"Lee!" Richard cried as removed his skis so he could hurry to Lee's side but already, much to his relief, he could hear the laughter coming from Lee.

"I think I screwed up." His sunglasses had become askewed in the process and Richard couldn't help but think he looked adorable both with that and with the way his long legs sprawled out. "Help me up?"

Grasping Lee's hand, Richard pulled him up, enjoying the closeness, wanting it to last longer, and not liking when Lee's eyes disappeared behind his sunglasses once again, the moment passing

"Didn't hurt anything?" He asked, trying to focus on the important thing and not how he wanted to touch Lee once again.

"Nah, falling in snow is gentle." For that Richard was grateful. 

When Lee was ready they carried on their way, eventually finding the lake that they were told they would loop around to and while there were still snowmobiles racing around, the area that was reserved for skating was empty.

And he wasn't the only one who noticed. "I guess they decided to do something else."

Guilt washed over Richard, he hated himself for taking Lee away from his family. He, more than anyone else, knew how precious it was to spend time with family when it happened. "Maybe you should have stayed with them."

"Why?" As Lee looked at Richard his heart gave a little flutter. 

Shit. 

He was really starting to like Lee.

He needed to focus on the important thing.

"Because you could be with your family instead of with me." He didn't want Lee to miss out on anything with his family. He remembered the night they met when Lee had said that the kids were really looking forward to a winter vacation.

"I'm having fun, I don't regret it." There was a smile and Richard was almost convinced it was going to melt all the snow around them. "So lets finish and stop worrying about things like that."

It was impossible to not smile, knowing that Lee wasn't upset with him, even if he did still have his doubts. "Okay."

They skied around the lake, not hurrying, taking in the beauty of the sight before them. Richard wished it could go on forever, but all too soon they were back at the rental building turning in their skis. 

"I'm really glad we did that," Lee said as they made their way back to the lodge, walking side by side. "Being out with nature, it's always a great feeling."

"Yeah." Richard knew what he meant. "Do you get out a lot in Texas?"

"In Texas? Yeah, especially when I was a child."

Richard grinned. "I can just picture you as a boy scout." 

"I was!" There was a warmth to Lee's laughter which Richard liked and he had to force himself to pay attention. "Were you in anything like that when you were a kid?"

"No, but I did grow up in the country." 

"I bet that was nice."

"It was," as a bird flew over head it caught Richard's attention, "but I didn't really appreciate it until I was older and after I had moved away."

"Do you get back often?" The question was an innocent one, nothing abnormal about it, but still Richard fell silent, not really knowing what to say that didn't sound pathetic. What was he supposed to say? No, but I'm still here alone anyway because I got dumped and I was too prideful to simply not go on the planned vacation. "That bad?" 

"No." His response was short, loud, and he hoped he didn't scare Lee. "It's not like that at all," he quickly added. "I love my family and I have a great relationship with them, although things were rough when I was younger. They didn't really accept me; no, that's not right, they just didn't understand why I was the way I am, which was one of the reasons why I moved to begin with. First to London, then New York."

"I think I know what you getting at." Coming to a stop, Lee stood so he could face Richard, removing his sunglasses in the process, which was a move that Richard copied. "I know I've been lucky in my life, but that doesn't mean I don't understand."

Lee really was unbelievable. 

In a good way.

"Thank you."

"Enough about the past," Lee declared as he began moving again, but not before making sure that Richard was coming with him. "I'm cold, let's get something warm to drink."

Richard could only chuckle as they made the rest of their way to the lodge where they headed into the restaurant and found a table for two near some windows so they could look out at the snowy landscape while they both ordered coffee.

"I like it here," Lee said as they chatted in between sips of coffee. They had already discussed their favourite TV shows and movies and Richard was surprised to find they had a similar taste. "I'm really glad we picked this lodge for our vacation."

"Me too," Richard admitted and it felt like he was saying the truth. He still wished he could be elsewhere, namely in the UK with his own family, but he had to be anywhere else he was glad it was there.

"This is the first time we've been able to get away as a family in years. I doubt the kids remember the last vacation we took together, which is a shame with the way Emily squealed in delight when she saw Mickey Mouse."

"I always preferred Goofy." Goofy was tall, lanky, clumsy and a bit of a dork. All traits that Richard could relate too. 

"Me too," Lee replied, repeating Richard's words from earlier. A move that was done on purpose as he shly grinned.

It was then when Richard realized the way that Lee was staring at him, his gaze never wavering, and Richard felt himself flush as his body warmed up. His cock unwillingly twitched with interest. It had been so long and he couldn't deny that he felt attracted to Lee. He always had a thing for tall guys and Lee was definitely easy on the eyes and he was incredibly kind. 

His eyes fell to the mug in front of Lee and the way Lee's long fingers wrapped around it as he held it, his mind drifted, wondering what those fingers would feel like moving inside him, slipping in and out as they loosened him up, getting him ready for Lee's cock.

"I should probably soon go." As the words somehow escape Richard's mouth he didn't know whether he should kick himself or he should rejoice.

"Oh." Definitely kick himself, Richard decided as the sparkle in Lee's eyes faded a little, his smile faltering for a bit before recovering. "I understand. I've already taken up so much of your time today. But thank you, it was fun."

"I should be thanking you," Richard blurted out as Lee stood. "I'm sorry… I'm just…" He felt like a fool, probably looked like one too, but when Lee smiled at him it felt genuine. 

"Hey, it's okay," Lee said as he reached out and patted Richard's hand where it was resting on the table. It was a nice touch, soft, gentle, and he couldn't help but wonder if Lee would be just as gentle in bed. "We can talk more later if we see each other again but if not there's always tomorrow." 

Richard nodded his head. "Right." Anything to get out of there.

"Let me pay for the drinks." As Richard opened his mouth to protest, Lee held up a hand to stop him. "I'm the one who invited you. Next time you can pay."

Despite everything, Richard found himself smiling. "Okay."

His eyes trailed after Lee as he went over to the bar, not bothering to wait for their waitress to return. Lee really did have nice legs and an ass, a long back too and broad shoulders. He would look so nice on his hands and knees, ass raised, waiting for Richard. Or better yet, seeing that body loom over him as Lee's cock (which Richard didn't doubt was very nice) pushed inside him.

Richard snapped his eyes shut in an attempt to block the images from his head, but it was an effort that proved to be useless. The chair noisily scraped across the floor as he stood, barely he remembered his jacket as he grabbed it from the back of the seat. Not wanting to look anymore in Lee's direction, he scurried from the restaurant, the jacket draped over his arm so it could dangle down in front of his rapidly growing cock.

In the lobby he took the stairs up to his room two at a time, reaching his floor in no time at all. His hands fumbling with his key card, swiping it through the reader too fast, until he finally got the door unlocked on his third try. 

Once inside with the door closed, he leaned his back up against it in an attempt to calm down. It was warm, he could feel himself start to sweat, making him even more uncomfortable than he already was. 

Tossing his jacket to a nearby chair, he pulled his sweater off over his head, leaving him in just a white t-shirt, which relieved some of the heat, but it did little to come down his cock that was straining to break free, his erection was obvious even with the padded layer of his ski pants he wore to keep him warm in the snow. 

Think of anything besides Lee. That's what he had to do. He closed his eyes, willing desperately for any image to come to his head.

The first image was the way Lee's long fingers wrapped around his coffee mug.

Quickly he forced it from his mind.

The second was the way Lee's broad shoulders looked as he walked away from the table.

Another image forced from his mind.

The third image was Lee's smiling face.

Fuck it. He didn't want to force that image away, it was one he never wanted to forget. He was weak when it came to Lee, it was easier to admit than to fight it. Even though he wasn't sure how it was possible for one man to interrupt his life so much in a short amount of time. It wasn't normal for him, he was always more cautious, taking his time to fall for a guy. His friends would joke he was the only gay man in New York who wouldn't fall in bed with a guy after one date.

Although at the moment what he really wanted was to touch himself. 

Which was no easy task with the layers of clothing that he still wore. 

He undid the clasps at the waist of his ski pants, shoving the garment down his legs to expose the jeans he wore underneath. It was then, when he tried to kick the ski pants off, did he realized he forgot about his boots. 

With a curse he stumbled towards the bed, where he undid his laces and pulled them off, finally gaining freedom from the ski pants. His jeans quickly followed, landing on the floor somewhere as he kicked them away, leaving him only in the white t-shirt (which soon joined the rest of the his clothing on the floor) and black boxer briefs, which he kept on for the time being.

Kneeling on the bed, he touched himself, his hand sliding underneath the garment, fisting his cock. His eyes fell closed, picturing that it wasn't his own hand that was teasing him, but instead it was Lee's. A whimper escaped him as he fell forward, propping himself up with his free arm while the hand on his cock quicken it's pace.

But it wasn't enough.

Lazily he dragged his eyes open and they searched the room until they landed on his suitcase where it laid on the floor. At the beginning of the week he had unpacked it and it was now being used to store dirty clothes but that wasn't the only thing it contained.

He stood on shaky legs and somehow managed to make it to the suitcase without falling. He jammed his hand into the suitcase's biggest pouch, momentarily freezing when his fingers touched the box of the other item he had brought along. He really hadn't wanted to bring the condoms, but his best friend, Graham, was relentless in bugging him about it, teasing him that he never knew what would happen on vacation, not stopping until Richard finally bought a box to shut him up. He had tossed it in the suitcase without a second thought, but now, he couldn't help but wonder…

No. He couldn't think that far ahead.

Grabbing the container of lube, he headed back to the bed, stopping briefly so he could slip off his boxer briefs before climbing back onto the bed. He settled on his knees again, coating his fingers with the lube, before reaching around him, teasing his entrance, circling it lightly, before slipping one finger inside himself.

His eyes flickered closed once again as he added a second finger. It was so easy to picture Lee's fingers moving inside him instead of his own. His mind returned to the way Lee's long fingers wrapped around the mug and he let out a moan. He could practically feel Lee's breath against his neck, the whisper on his name next to his ear.

"Lee…" The name escaped him in a mixture of a whine and a groan. He so desperately wanted Lee to be there, holding him, being the one to touch him.

He rocked forward, his free hand returned to his cock, pumping it as the fingers inside him continued to move in and out, creating delightful little shivers all over his body as he got close to his release.

So badly he wanted Lee to be there, for Lee to be the one touching him, making him feel good. Because as good as he currently felt, he knew that if Lee was there it would feel better.

He added a third finger.

Fuck it felt good.

Sex, even touching himself, hadn't been something that interested him in a long time, assuming it was just his age catching up with him, but at the moment he couldn't figure out why he'd think that.

He missed it. Missed the feeling of his world being reduced to fingers or a cock inside him. Again he found himself wishing that Lee was there, that Lee's fingers were the ones moving inside him, that Lee's hand was the one on his cock, pumping it, trying so hard to bring Richard to his release.

 _"Come for me,"_ he could hear Lee saying. It was such a clear voice inside his head.

And he wanted to obey more than anything else in the world.

With a final thrust of his fingers he came, his cock pulsing and Lee's name ripping from his throat in a scream. For several long seconds he remained still before he was able to gather his wits and to come back to reality, and with it came guilty shame.

"What have I done?" he muttered as he rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his hands. How could he look Lee in the eye anymore after what had just happened? Lee who had been nothing but kind to him. He had used Lee to get himself off.

And he felt horrible for it.

It was the guilt that kept him in his room that night instead of venturing down for dinner until later than normal when he was sure that Lee and his family already would have eaten and left. And as he fell asleep that night, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do.

Things didn't change the next morning. He was still overcome with guilt, not knowing how he could face Lee, after thinking those thoughts the night before.

There was also the issue that he really liked Lee, yet he knew by the end of the week Lee would return to Texas while he went home to New York. Even if Lee felt the same way, could they really make a long distance relationship last? Richard had never been in one before and he couldn't see Lee moving away from his family, but he could move to Texas? He knew next to nothing about Texas except cowboys were from there.

Eventually he slunk down for a late breakfast once he knew the Pace family would have been out for the day. Even then though, he didn't waste time in eating his eggs and sausages, just in case Lee showed up looking for him. Not that he thought Lee would. As far as Lee knew everything was fine between them.

Although it was tempting to hide in his room all day, Richard really didn't want to do that. "I want something that will ensure I'm alone for most of the day," he told the worker at the rental shop, who nodded his head and told Richard he had just the thing he was looking for and it didn't take long before Richard was set up with a small backpack of supplies, a map, a compass and snowshoes. It was the perfect solution, even if Lee was also out in the forest on snowshoes there would be no way they could accidentally come across each other. 

Moving on the snowshoes was no where near as fast as the skis, harder too since with the skis he didn't have to worry about forgetting he couldn't walk properly. At the same time he appreciated the slower pace. Instead of stopping now and then to enjoy the sights, he was able to take his time as he moved along. He was also able to access other trails, ones that would be too difficult for him to ski at his beginners level. 

It also gave him something to focus on besides Lee. 

By mid-day he stopped for a break, sitting down on a fallen log and digging through the small backpack until he found the bottle of water and one of the nutrient bars that had been packed for him. As he ate, thoughts of Lee finally drifted into his mind. He really liked the time they spent together. Lee was nice, kind, someone who was easy to get along with, it wasn't often that Richard met someone like that, someone he felt so comfortable around so soon after meeting. 

Could he really go the rest of his trip without seeing Lee again?

Swallowing the last piece of the bar, Richard began packing up the bag for his hike back, still not coming to an answer for the question that weighed heavily on his mind. He liked Lee, that much he was sure of, but being near Lee and not being able to have what he wanted would be painful. 

But what if Lee liked him back?

It almost seemed impossible but Lee had sought him out a few times and had gone cross-country skiing with him at the expense of going skating with his family. Plus he was pretty sure Lee understood him yesterday when he pseudo came out to him. If Graham had been there he would have swatted Richard and told him that of course Lee liked him back. But Graham wasn't there, nor was anyone else he could rely on. 

He was alone. 

And he didn't like that. 

And not just because he had no one to go to for advice. He had been alone for months, possibly even longer than he realized. It wouldn't have surprised him if Ryan had mentally checked out of the relationship long before he finally left.

He was halfway back when across a field movement caught his attention. Among the white snow and evergreen trees, moved orange fur. A fox. Although the fox was quite a distance away, Richard stayed still, not wanting to spook him, instead content with watching the animal from a safe distance away.

At one point the fox stopped and Richard began to worry that he got spotted but then a moment later, the fox jumped, face planting himself in the show. Before Richard even had a chance to worry about him, he pulled out his head, some sort of mammal in his mouth. With a shake of his head to brush off the excess snow, the fox was soon darting back into the trees where he'd be able to eat his meal in peace. 

After a moment, waiting to see if the fox would return, Richard carried on his way, his mind made up. Life was too short, he needed to talk to Lee, he just didn't know what he was going to say. 

Unfortunately even with the long hike back to the lodge he still couldn't think of how he was going to explain his feelings to Lee.

After returning his equipment, Richard walked the grounds but he could see no sign of Lee or anyone of the Pace family to find out where Lee was. The lodge was his next stop but of the handful of people in the restaurant none were Lee. With nothing left to do, Richard retrieved his book from his room and settled down in front of the fireplace in the lobby. He was confident that Lee would eventually come along, he just hoped it wasn't a long wait. 

As he opened the book to where his bookmark was sticking out of the top, it dawned on him, it had been awhile since he had left off reading it. At the start of the week he was convinced he would breeze through the first book in two days before moving on to one of the others he had brought with him, but he knew why he hadn't, Lee. Lee who had changed his life in only a few days. 

At one point his stomach began rumbling, reminding him he hadn't had much to eat since breakfast. It was tempting to ignore the cries for food, but in the end he sighed and made his way to the restaurant, selecting a table where he could keep an eye on the lobby, just in case Lee came in while he was eating. 

He was beginning to feel like a stalker. 

He hoped Lee didn't feel the same.

When his meatloaf came, he ate, but barely recognized the taste of it and not because it wasn't any good. Richard was pretty sure at the moment the best food from the finest restaurant in New York would taste like cardboard. The only thought that went through his head was where was Lee?

He hoped they hadn't gone back to Texas already. 

No, he was positive that at one point Lee said they were spending the week there. 

Hadn't he?

After paying for his meal, he was on his way back to the fireplace (after almost accidentally leaving his book behind in the restaurant) when through the front doors of the lodge in walked Lee's parents, followed by the kids, his sister and brother-in-law, and finally behind everyone else, Lee himself. 

Even across the lobby their eyes locked and Richard could feel the giant smile form on his face. It was a look that was matched by Lee who instead of following his family into the restaurant strolled over to Richard. 

"Are you finally going to join us for dinner?"

"I already ate." Mentally Richard kicked himself for skipping lunch earlier. If he hadn't he could have held out longer and ate with them. "Can we talk later?" A horrible thought them came over him, just because he was there alone, didn't mean Lee was, he might have something planned with his family for later. "If that's okay," he quickly added. 

Good fortune however was on Richard's side as Lee nodded his head. "Sure, let me go eat and I'll find you afterwards."

"I'll be waiting." That sounded pathetic and desperate. "Reading. I'll be reading while I wait. I'm hoping to soon finish it."

Lee grinned. "I'll see you later."

Richard's heart thumped as he watched Lee walk away. He didn't sit down immediately, but paced the area in front of the fireplace, walking pass it to the nearby Christmas tree before turning around and returning where he started from, no doubt looking like a fool but not caring since he had more important things to worry about. 

Eventually he did sit down and opened the book once again, his leg jittering as he waited, but try as he might, his eyes couldn't focus properly on the words. The words he did managed to read, were read multiple times before he realized what he was doing. He was still staring at the words, not making much sense out of them, when Lee returned.

"Get much reading done?" 

His voice startled Richard who jerked slightly, not expecting him back so soon. "Not really." In total he suspected he got half a page read. "I was thinking about things."

If Lee thought anything was suspicious he didn't say so as he sat down in the chair next to Richard. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Do you want to do something?" Those were not the words that Richard expected to say. "I do want to talk," he tried clarifying, "but…"

"Hey, it's okay, Rich." He still loved it when Lee called him that, sending little flutters through him. "We can't go far but we can take a walk, look at the stars while waiting for the Northern Lights."

"I haven't done that yet." The Northern Lights were actually one of the main things he wanted to see but so far he had only seen them through the window from his room. 

"Why not?"

"I guess I never had anyone to watch them with."

Lee smiled, Richard loved it when he smiled. "Then lets do it."

"Just give me a minute, okay?" He waited until Lee responded with "sure" before heading up to his room where he quickly tossed his book towards the bed and grabbed his jacket, scarf, beanie and gloves, not even taking the time to put them on. Instead he did that while making his way back down the stairs were Lee was standing and waiting for him.

Side-by-side they walked out into the cold, dark air. Above them the stars twinkled, capturing Richard's attention as they walked. "They're beautiful. It's been a long time since I've been able to see stars like this. New York has too much light pollution." 

"I know what you mean," Lee agreed, tilting his head upwards. "You should go upstate sometime. Not now, but late in the summer, the skies are so clear and if you go the right night you can see a meteor shower."

"Sounds nice."

"We should go together some time." 

Richard's head jerked towards Lee, finding that he was staring at him and not the sky above them. He looked so serious that Richard almost wanted to believe him, instead he forced himself to laugh. "Sure, you can visit me in New York whenever you want."

A small smile escaped Lee. "I appreciate the offer but-"

"Look! It's starting!" Richard said, excitement in his voice as he pointed towards upwards where a band of green light was waving across the sky, creating a spectacular sight. "It's incredible." It was only then when he realized what he had done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's perfectly fine," Lee replied with a chuckle, taking a step closer to Richard so that their shoulders were practically touching as they stood next to each other, their attention at the sight above them. "Just enjoy the show."

They stood in quiet for the next few minutes, every so often one would nudge the other with his shoulder and point to something in the sky, resulting in a grin from both of them. It was so simple and elegant. 

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Richard suddenly asked, breaking the silence. He couldn't help himself, he needed to know when he'd be able to see Lee again.

"Most of the presents were left at home but we did sneak a few along 'from Santa' for the kids." Lee paused as he chuckled. "I think Noah has figured it out about Santa but he's a good sport and continues to play along for his siblings."

Oh, right. Christmas was tomorrow.

Richard had forgotten about that.

"Then we'll probably just play in the snow for while before seeing what movies are on, I think the lodge is supposed to be showing some later on," Lee said as he continued. "What about you? Do you have anything planned?"

"No."

If Lee noticed the shift in Richard as he grew quiet, he didn't say anything. "I suppose you want to spend tomorrow alone. Since you came here to be by yourself."

The words cut through Richard, hurting, even if Lee didn't intend for it. "I didn't come here alone on purpose," he said, turning to face him. "My ex dumped me a few months ago. The trip was non-refundable and I'm stubborn. At the start of the week, I wished I was anywhere else but here."

All cheerfulness fell from Lee's face. "Shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I have a big mouth at times and I speak without thinking."

"You didn't know." It wasn't Lee's fault. Most people Richard's position would have just cancelled the trip anyway. "What hurts the most is, I didn't even know anything was wrong. I just came home one day and he was gone, leaving an email that he had been unhappy for awhile. How could I be so blind?"

"Don't blame yourself. He could have told you." There was a pause. "Do you miss him?"

"No." That much Richard had figured out already. "But I missed the way he made me feel. I missed having fun and being happy. In a weird way I'm glad I ended up coming here because it reminded me what those things were like. Being with you did it."

Lee said nothing, simply stood staring at Richard, making him wonder if he had said the wrong thing. If Lee rejected him now he thought he really would break, he could already feel himself shattering when suddenly Lee reached out with his long arms and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that." His voice was soft. "But I'm really glad you did." Shifting, he rested his forehead against Richard's, he was so close but Richard didn't mind one bit. "Because I really like you and I don't think I'd be able to handle it if you were with someone else."

Richard felt his face flush, but this time he didn't try and hide it. "I really like you too."

Before he could say anything else he felt as Lee's lips touched his own. They were so soft and tasted so good, just as Richard knew they would be. He pulled Lee closer, not caring if he seemed desperate, because he was desperate, and he had a pretty good feeling that Lee was as well with the way he pressed against Richard not wanting even an inch between them.

They stayed that way for hours, watching the Northern Lights, chatting and sharing more kisses until it was finally time for them to go their separate ways. Richard felt light later on as he made his way back to his room, thinking that maybe everything was going to be okay.

That is until he woke up the next morning.

It was officially the worst Christmas ever Richard decided that morning. He really did try to make the best of it, a Christmas miracle occurred and the Internet was working long enough to Skype with his family. All it accomplished though was make him miss them more, especially the way his niece and nephew held up the toys they had gotten to excitedly show him. There was also the way his mother would repeated ask if he was okay. 

"I'll visit soon," he promised when it was time to go. It wasn't a lie, if he had gone home to the UK he would have taken two weeks off work instead of just having a week long vacation so he still had more time off coming up. It would not be as long as he liked but at least he'd get to visit them for a week at some point within the next few months. At least he hoped it worked out that way. 

Because he was talking with his family he was late for breakfast. Lee and his family weren't there, he had hoped after last night Lee would have waited for him but he understood why. Lee would be crazy to give up time with his family on Christmas for someone he just met a few days ago. 

After eating Richard headed back to his room. He couldn't stand seeing any of it, the happy families together, the large Christmas tree in the lobby, the garland and stockings hanging from the fireplace that he was so fond of. He just wanted to go back to his room and fall asleep until Boxing Day. Maybe then Lee would be able to spend time with him.

Sleep however did not come to him. For a while he laid in bed trying to will himself to sleep but that had the opposite effect, as time ticked by he found himself becoming more and more awake, his brain active, thinking about what he could be doing at the moment if he was with his family. He wouldn't be hiding away trying to sleep that's for sure. 

Eventually he decided a hot bath might help him relax to the point where he could sleep. The warm water did soothe his body but his mind on the other hand refused to rest, bouncing around from missing his family to wanting to see Lee.

He really wished he could see Lee.

The kiss the night before had been unforgettable, easily the best kiss he ever had, he was convinced the warmth from Lee could have almost melt all the snow in Canada. 

Bringing his wet hands up to his face to cover his eyes, Richard wasn't sure what to do. Continue to hide away and feel sorry for himself or try and seek out Lee and hope he wouldn't be too mad at having his family time interrupted. 

There was also the problem of wondering what was going to happen when they both went home, but Richard didn't want to think about that for the time being so he shoved it out of his head. Instead he wanted to focus on the way that Lee made him feel. He was the happiest he's been in months and it was all because of Lee. Lee had been the thing missing from his life. 

The water turned cool and Richard sighed as he got up and stepped out of the tub. After towelling off, he put on a fluffy white robe, there was no reason to hurry to get dress, it wasn't like he was going anywhere anytime soon because as much as he wanted to go see Lee, he couldn't ruin what was started and if Lee wanted to spend the day with his family, Richard understood that and needed to respect his decision.

Settling down on the bed, Richard flicked through the channels but the only things on were Christmas movies and specials. Christmas however was the last thing he wanted to be reminded of at the moment. It was easier to think of it as just another day and the only reason why he couldn't see Lee was because he was out doing something away from the lodge. 

Turning off the TV, Richard was about to reach for his book when there was a knock at his door, which took him by surprise since he wasn't expecting anyone. Leaving the book on the nightstand he walked over to the door and looked through the peephole to find Lee on the other side.

Hastily he unlocked the door, his fingers fumbling over both the lock and the small chain to let Lee inside. "What are you doing here?" Were the first words out of his mouth but he didn't wait for a response as he flung his arms around Lee and pulled him in for a kiss, not caring that they were still in the open doorway.

"I needed to see you." 

His voice sounded so desperate and Richard knew exactly what he felt like. "I wanted to see you too," he admitted before kissing Lee again, putting all this thoughts and feelings for Lee into it, trying to get across how he felt. 

Not breaking the kiss, Richard began backing up as he tugged Lee into the room who kicked closed the door which automatically locked behind them.

He felt Lee's hands go to his ass, palming it through his robe and a moan escaped him. "Don't stop." Immediately blushing as the words left his mouth, but fortunately Lee didn't care.

"I don't plan on it."

Lee was still wearing his winter jacket, which was actually a source of annoyance for Richard, it was bulky and he wanted to see more of Lee, plus it seemed really unfair that Lee was so covered up while he was just in a bathrobe. Unzipping the jacket, he slid it from Lee's shoulders, letting it fall to the floor as they continued to stumble backwards further into the room.

They eventually made it to the bed, with his hand flat against Richard's chest, Lee gave a gentle shove as Richard fell backwards and Lee climbed on top of him. His hands sliding between the opening of the bathroom so he could touch Richard's chest.

"You're way over dressed," Richard complained, a stupid happy smile on his face as he placed his hands on Lee's hips. It was true. He still had on all his clothing, compared to what Richard wore he felt exposed, the bath robe offering little protection. 

Lee grinned as he pulled the sweater over his head which was quickly followed by the t-shirt he wore underneath, leaving his chest bare, a beautiful sight to behold. Richard couldn't help himself, he slid his hands upwards wanting, needing, to touch. 

"Your hands are so warm."

"Sorry," Richard replied as he jerked his hands away but before they could get too far away, Lee grabbed them and placed them on his chest once again. 

"No," he said with a shake of his head and a small grin, "it feels nice."

Richard returned the grin as began moving his hands once more, sliding them up the smooth skin, taking Lee's nipples in between his fingers, rolling them briefly, enjoying the small gasps of pleasure that escaped Lee before moving his hands again, sliding them over the broad shoulders he had been admiring for so long. 

"You have freckles," he observed. 

"Do you mind?"

"I think it's adorable."

Lee chuckled as he bent forward to capture Richard's lips in a sweet, gentle kiss, which caused him to whimper as he slid his arms around Lee's shoulders to pull him closer. He could feel his cock growing hard between them, the bathrobe doing little to hide his excitement. He couldn't help it, it had been so long since he had been with someone, hookups weren't his style and he hadn't been interested in dating anyone long enough to invite the guy into his bed.

"You're still wearing too many clothes," he playfully complained, resulting in another laugh from Lee. 

"I like it when you get demanding," he replied while placing a final quick kiss to Richard's lips. He then moved away, towards the side of the bed so he could remove his boots. As he did that, Richard reached to where his robe was tied together to undo it when he was stopped by a gentle hand from Lee on his wrist. "Don't. Keep it on for now." He then ducked his head in embarrassment. "I want to unwrap you when the time is right."

It was Richard's turn to laugh. "Okay," he agreed as laid back to watch as Lee stood up to undo the button of his jeans, thinking Lee would give him a show, but instead in a swift movement Lee shoved down his jeans and boxer briefs all at once and stepped out of them as he returned to the bed. 

"You like?" he teased as he climbed back on top of Richard, lightly grinding down, testing Richard's reaction. 

"Very much," he replied, fighting back a moan. 

"Good."

Bending over he parted the robe where it covered Richard's chest while keeping it tied at his waist. He planted a quick kiss before moving to one of Richard's nipples, mouthing it lightly, and then not so lightly as he touched the nipple with his teeth. 

"Yes," Richard hissed, digging his fingers into Lee's hair. In response he bit harder before removing his mouth and giving the nipple a light lick with his tongue before moving to the other nipple, immediately introducing his teeth. 

Lost in bliss Richard was barely aware when he felt Lee's hand on his thigh, sliding up under the robe, while at the same time he began mouthing soft, light kisses down Richard's chest. 

"You taste incredible," he said as he raised his head to look at Richard, his eyes filled with lust. 

And Richard knew exactly how he felt.

Moving his hands, he slid a thumb across Lee's lips, his other hand gently stroking his neck. "It can't be as good as the way you're making me feel."

Lee's eyes closed briefly before opening them again. "I think I want to unwrap my present now."

His hand that was on Richard's thigh slipped out from under the robe and went to work undoing the slash that held the robe closed. As it fell away, so did the robe covering the remainder of Richard's body, revealing everything to Lee. He felt exposed as Lee stared at him with great interest before covering Richard's body with his own so they could kiss, passionate, deep. 

"You're beautiful."

"Not compared to you."

"I wish I could fuck you." He looked down at Richard with sorrowed eyes. "But I didn't expect to meet anyone on a family vacation."

The blush gave Richard away immediately. "Umm..."

The disappointment on Lee's face turned to surprise. "Really?"

"I have an annoying friend who wouldn't stop bugging me until I agreed."

Lee laughed. "I've been that friend before," he said as he looked around the room. "Where?"

Richard pointed towards his suitcase. "The pouch."

Lee slid off the bed, providing Richard a very nice view of his ass, as he bent down to rummage through the bag. After a moment he returned, unashamed of giving Richard a long look at his hard cock, carrying a condom and the lube that Richard had returned to the suitcase yesterday before the maid cleaned his room.

Climbing back onto the bed, Lee placed the two items down next to them. "Remind me later to send your friend a thank you card."

"Don't make me think about him right now."

"I'm sure I can find a good way to distract you," Lee teased as he picked up the lube and coated his fingers with it.

Richard's back arched as the first finger penetrated him, his hands going to the bars of the headboard, grabbing hold of it. 

"Watch me," Lee commanded and it was only then he realized he had closed his eyes. Forcing them open, he looked down at Lee who grinned before placing a kiss to his inner thigh before inserting another finger. 

A gasp escaped Richard as Lee unexpectedly swallowed his cock while simultaneously inserting a third finger and he really was sure what felt better, the hot wetness that surrounded his cock as Lee began to suck or the way Lee's fingers worked their way inside him. A few days ago he was dreaming of those fingers inside him and now it was coming true and it was better than he had ever imagined, stretching him open, getting him ready for even more pleasure.

Letting go of the headboard, his fingers once again returned to Lee's hair, pressing down, trying to convince him to take more of his cock into his mouth, which Lee did with a muffled chuckle which pulsed all around Richard's cock.

"Lee…" he whined, it was hard to think of anything else beyond Lee's name. It all just felt so good.

Lifting his mouth all the way off, Lee gave a lick to the tip of Richard's cock before pulling his fingers free and sitting back with a grin on his face and he licked at his lips. "Tasty."

"Kiss me." 

Moving forward Lee placed a hungry kiss against Richard's mouth before sitting back once again and tore open the condom, sliding it onto his cock and then applying using a generous amount of lube to it before moving between Richard's legs. 

The first nudge of Lee's cock took his breath away. Fuck it felt good as Lee further edged his way inside until he bottomed out. It was far too long since he had anyone in his bed, he missed the feeling of having a cock inside him, the fact it was Lee just made things even better. 

"You okay?" Lee asked, as he gently stroked one of Richard's legs.

"Yeah." Their eyes met and there was no other place that Richard would rather be.

Lee held still for a moment, letting Richard adjust to his size, and simply enjoying the feeling of being connected. But then the moment passed, both knowing when they were ready. Lee pulled almost all the way out, until just the tip remained, before pushing back in, causing Richard to moan as he wrapped his legs around Lee's waist, enjoying the motion.

Bliss, Richard decided as he felt Lee's cock touch his prostate creating a delightful amount of pleasure. His arms went over his head again as he grasped once more at the bars of the headboard. Fuck it felt so good, feeling Lee's cock moving in and out of him. His own cock was hard and demanded attention, but at the moment he couldn't bring himself to touch himself, he just wanted to feel everything that Lee was willing to give him.

"Rich, you feel so damn good." His words coming out with a groan. 

God, Richard would never tire of him using that name. Just the usage of it caused his cock to jolt. "You feel good too."

"You're beautiful," he gasped as their mouths found each other for a hungry kiss, which resulted in Richard whimpering. It felt good being desired, knowing that someone wanted him so badly.

He gasped. "I don't know how long I can last."

"It's okay," Lee said as he placed small kisses to Richard's shoulders, creating a path of kisses to his neck. "I want you to come, I want to see that look of pure pleasure on your face." To prove his point, his pace quicken, driving his cock deep inside Richard, clearly enjoying the noises of pleasure that he was making as he neared his peak. "That's it, show me."

"Touch me?"

Immediately a hand went to Richard's cock and began pumping it. Desperately he wanted to close his eyes and until the waves of pleasure overcame him but he remembered Lee's request of keeping his eyes open, so instead he sought out Lee's own eyes. As their gaze connected that was all it took for the orgasm to rip through him as he came with an intense moan. Everything around him feeling good, better than he had felt in a long time.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," Lee groaned, his eyes falling closed. With a few more snaps of his hips Lee joined him in bliss and Richard found himself captivated by the expression on his face until it was over. Richard then pulled him down into an embrace and he buried his face into Richard's neck where they stayed like that for a few moments while they recovered, still connected together. 

"That was great," Lee finally said with a laugh. "You were incredible."

He couldn't help but join Lee's laughter. "You deserve the credit."

Lee raised slightly and smiled down at Richard. "Let's call it a group effort." Which resulted in a chuckle from Richard.

"Okay."

Gently, Lee slipped out of Richard as he moved away and pulled off the condom while tying the end off. He then dropped it in a wastebasket as he headed to the bathroom returning a moment later with a damp washcloth which he used to clean Richard before tossing it away, where it landed somewhere on the floor, and rejoined Richard on the bed, pulling him into his arms as they cuddled together under the blankets.

"I have to admit I never imagined Christmas to turn out this way."

"How do you think I feel?" Richard asked with another chuckle. "This started as the worst Christmas ever and it's easily in the top five."

"Only the top five?" There was amusement in his voice rather than being offended. "I'm gonna have to do better next time."

 _Next time._ Richard liked the sound of that.

"Okay, it was the best." Together they laughed and when it subsided he asked his next question. "What did you tell your family?"

"I simply told them I wanted to spend time with you because I didn't want you to be alone on Christmas."

"I'm glad you did that." He had been so depressed until Lee came along.

Lee smiled. "I'm glad too."

They stayed that way for the next little while, cuddling together, talking when they felt like it but largely simply enjoying each other's company. Richard wasn't sure how much time passed and didn't protest when Lee leaned over the side of the bed and used his long reach to retrieve his jeans where he fished out something from one of the pockets before dropping them back to the floor. It was then that Richard saw that it was his phone he retrieved as he looked at it. 

"Shit."

"What's wrong?" 

"I'm really comfortable and don't want to leave but I told my family we'd meet them for dinner soon." Leaning close, he lightly kissed Richard. "And yes, we. You've managed to escape every meal so far but you are joining us tonight. Okay?"

"Yeah," Richard agreed with a smile.

They took their time getting ready, stopping every so often to share kisses before moving to the next piece of clothing to put on. When they were both looking presentable they headed downstairs where Richard found the restaurant had been transformed for the night, the individual tables had been shoved together to make long tables and the only choices that night was turkey and ham, along with a handful of festive sides.

Lee's family was already waiting for them and it wasn't long before Richard found himself sitting next to Lee and across from his sister, Susie, who he really hadn't had a chance to talk to yet. To be fair however, except for the odd greeting he actually hadn't spoken to anyone besides Lee and the kids. 

"So what did you two do today?" It was such an innocent question but Richard had to fight the urge to blush. 

Lee shrugged. "Just hung out and talked."

She frowned, her eyes going back and forth between Lee and Richard before a surprised look formed her face. "Oh, really?" She asked, smirking as she recovered and raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure it was a really nice talk you had."

Covering his face with his hands, Richard wanted to hide under the table. It was Lee's laughter, and his hand on his back rubbing gently, that made him stay in his seat.

Eventually things settled down and Richard actually ended up having a good time. Lee's family was warm and welcoming, asking polite questions but also avoided ones that they knew Richard wouldn't want to answer (like why he was alone at Christmas). 

After dinner they moved into another room where a large screen had been set up to play Christmas movies on. As the lights dimmed no one seemed to notice when Lee place his arm around Richard's shoulders. 

Two movies later the kids were yawning. "I think it's time we leave," Susie said as she began rounding up the tired kids and getting their jackets on to make the walk back to their cabin. 

"I'm going to stay with Richard a bit longer," Lee announce. Although his arm was no longer around his shoulders, Richard could still feel the warmth left behind. 

"Okay," she replied with a knowing smirk and once again Richard wanted to disappear. 

"Don't worry," Lee said when they were gone while rubbing Richard's back once again. "She's not going to tell."

Richard shook his head in disbelief, still not sure how he felt about her knowing, but he also decided that it didn't particularly matter. "So are we going to... talk?"

"Actually," Lee said, leaning closer to whisper in Richard's ear, "I was thinking about how great it would feel to have you ride me."

Richard's cock twitched with interest at those words. He could already picture it, Lee naked below him as he moved up and down, going as fast or as slow as he wanted, being in control, with Lee being unable to do nothing but enjoy how good Richard was making him feel.

"Yeah," Richard agreed, his voice going deep, he liked that idea very much.

It was so tempting to grab Lee and race up the stairs to his room but he still had more of the trip to get through and didn't particularly want to draw attention to the fact he was inviting someone back to his room. Instead they casually made their way up to his room, but after the door closed behind them that however was a different story.

Their clothes came off in a frenzy, discarded every which way around the room, neither one not caring where things landed as they frantically kissed their way to the bed where they laid next to each other, the kissing continuing, until Lee rolled to his back, dragging Richard on top of him.

"You're gorgeous," Lee said as he fumbled for the lube, coating his fingers, and reaching around Richard to probe at his entrance before inserting those long, thin fingers to loosen him up.

"I bet you say that to everyone who you get naked in your bed." Technically it was Richard's bed but the point still the same.

"No." There was a serious look on Lee's face and Richard's heart fluttered. With his free hand Lee reached up to touch the side of Richard's face, his thumb moving slowly through his beard, stroking softly. "I don't normally do this type of thing at all."

"I don't normally do this type of thing either." It felt good to open up to Lee, he really felt like they had made a connection, even if it felt like a weird thing to think of with the way Lee's fingers were still buried deep inside him and his own cock hard against his stomach. "But I really need you to get a move on right now."

Lee laughed as he pulled his fingers free and handed him a condom. "I got you ready so it's only fair that you get me ready."

It was a request that Richard couldn't deny.

Sliding further down Lee's body, Richard straddled his legs and with shaky fingers he tore open the package, removed the condom, and rolled it down on Lee's cock before grabbing the bottle of lube that Lee had discarded earlier.

When Lee was slicked up, Richard shuffled back into position, his eyes making contact with Lee's. "Do I have to do everything myself?" He was joking of course. That was another thing he liked about Lee, he could be himself and let his humour shine through.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Lee replied, a grin on his face, while he petted Richard's thighs. 

Richard couldn't help but return the grin as he reached behind him and found the base of Lee's cock. Rising up, he shifted backwards until he felt the tip of Lee's cock at his entrance and then he slowly started lowering, his eyes flickering close as he adjusted to Lee's size. 

"Go at your own pace," Lee gently advised as he continued to pet at Richard's thighs. Richard was starting to get the impression that Lee liked his legs, which was perfectly okay by him as long as he kept touching them. 

He gasped when he reached the base, unable to go no further. His hands went to his head, his fingers digging through his hair as he tried calming himself. It felt so good having Lee inside him, it made him feel full and complete, and he never wanted to go without it ever again.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah," he breathed as he raised up before lowering again, still moving slow, not wanting to rush things. He opened his eyes the next time he rose, his eyes meeting with Lee's and it took all his will to not blurt out something embarrassing about loving the way Lee made him feel. 

With a squeeze to his thigh he began moving faster, his hands sliding down his chest, stopping briefly to twist his nipples before going lower, down to his cock, jerking off in sync to the up and down movement as he rode Lee.

"You look so incredible," Lee said to him and he felt his body blush all over, "feel incredible too."

The words of encouragement from Lee made him go faster. Lee wasn't the only one who felt incredible, he simply loved the way Lee made him feel, the way Lee's cock felt inside him and the way that Lee would continue to squeeze his thigh, alternating between being gentle and hard.

He came with a rush, his release taking him by surprise, making a mess of his stomach. His eyes fell closed, only barely aware as he felt Lee's hands at his hips, lifting him off his cock and shifting to press him down on his back near the foot of the bed.

He opened his eyes in time to see Lee lift his legs and push his cock back inside him, moving at a frantic pace. "You feel so good," he said, wanting Lee to get his own release. He was tired though and all he could do was babble words of encouragement. 

A moment later Lee paused as a shudder went through him before pulling out and falling forward into Richard's arms who gently stroked his back, waiting as Lee came down from his pleasurable high, content to simply lay like that for as long as possible.

With his eyes falling closed once again, Richard only felt when Lee moved away (to discard the condom) before returning a moment later, sitting down on the bed next to him. "Think you can manage a shower?"

"Yeah," Richard agreed as he lazily opened his eyes, "but I think you might have to help me up."

Lee chuckled as he took hold of Richard's hand to drag him to his feet before leading him into the bathroom. The water felt good and warm but they were way too tired to do anything but hold each other as the water fell down upon them, washing them off. 

They only stayed that way for a few minutes before exiting the shower, taking a moment to towel each other off with Richard not knowing what was better, the feel of Lee's hands moving the towel around his body or doing the same to him. In the end he decided that both were equally good.

Upon returning to the bed they snuggled under the covers, with Richard curled to Lee's side, his arm stretched across his chest, their legs hooked together. It had been a long time since he had cuddle with a person that way, filled with content and the knowledge that someone cared about him.

It wasn't long before they were both fast asleep.

As he slept a dream invaded his thoughts; a shared apartment in the city with Lee, taking a dog or two to the dog park together, laughing as they explored places in the city that Richard had never been together before, dining together in restaurants he had been wanting to try, taking a road trip together upstate, watching the stars like Lee suggested.

It was a nice dream.

Which unfortunately ended all too soon.

Richard woke to an empty bed and the sound of Lee, shirtless, moving around the room as he picked up pieces of scattered clothing. He stopped when he saw that Richard was awake and moved to sit next to him on the bed, taking hold of his hand, gently moving his thumb across it. 

"I swear I was going to wake you before I left." There was sincerity in his voice. "I wasn't going to sneak out on you. I'm not ashamed of us being together, but while I'm perfectly okay with Susie knowing about us, my parents are a different story, I'd rather them not know that I was away all night."

"I believe you," Richard said with a tired yawn. He also didn't particularly want Lee's parents knowing that they hooked up while Lee was supposed to be on a family vacation. "What time is it?"

"5 am. You can go back to sleep for a few more hours, but before I go I want to do something." Retrieving their phones, Lee handed Richard's to him. "I want to exchange numbers. I don't want us missing each other again."

It was a simple request, one that Richard was glad to comply. "Okay." Unable to hide his smile, he unlocked the phone and entered the number that Lee provided him before giving Lee his own number. When they were finished exchanging numbers, he reached over to place the phone on his bedside table. "Anything else?"

"I'm going to contact you in a few hours for breakfast. Please don't turn me down. You already had dinner with my family, you can handle breakfast and I want to spend as much time together as we can before we have to go home."

It was another simple request, and his grin grew. "Okay."

Leaning forward Lee placed a quick kiss to Richard's lips and while it was sweet, it wasn't good enough. His hand went to the back of Lee's head, pulling him closer for a deeper kiss that lingered longer than Lee originally intended.

"I really have to go," Lee said with a laugh as he pulled away. "You're going to get me in trouble."

"Fine." He pouted but only briefly as Lee got up and finished dressing. He really liked the way Lee moved, especially when he was half undressed, but the show didn't last for long and soon Lee was leaning over him for another kiss (this time it was quick) before disappearing out the door.

Sleep didn't return to Richard, instead he laid in bed, thinking about Lee. It really was amazing how one person could turn his entire world around. He went from having the worst vacation of his life to one of the best one. 

When Lee texted him a few hours later, he was already dressed, simply waiting around in his room, ready for whenever Lee got around to contacting him. The grin was impossible to keep off his face as he walked down the stairs and saw Lee waiting for him who matched his grin with one of his own.

Breakfast was fast, no one wanted to spend time eating when there were things to do. It was agreed that the children would spend time with their grandparents while the other adults did something together. While Richard had wanted to spent time alone with Lee he really couldn't turn down the idea of spending time with Susie and her husband, David, especially not when Lee and Susie had immediately answered "snowmobiles" when asked what they wanted to do that day.

The snowmobiles were freeing. Richard liked the feeling of racing around, following Lee as he zipped across the frozen lake while they got use to the controls before heading out on trail that ran through the trees. It was so different, speeding through the forest instead of taking the time to enjoy the surroundings, but it was certainly fun.

In a row they went with Lee and Richard bringing up the rear. The original plan had been to stick together but at a cross section in the path instead of following his sister and brother-in-law, Lee went down a different path and there was nothing Richard could do but follow him. They didn't go far when Lee came to a stop and Richard copied him.

"What's going on?" Richard asked as they removed their helmets. 

"A sneaky plan for some alone time," Lee replied with a smile as he stood and made his way over to Richard. Draping his arms over Richard's shoulders, Lee pulled him into a kiss, which while good, Richard couldn't help but worry.

"Won't they wonder where we've gone?"

"Susie knows. She and David also want to spend time alone together." 

If that's what was going on, Richard saw no need to complain.

"You two are so sneaky," Richard said as he grabbed the front of Lee's jacket and tugged him close so they could kiss again. "You could have told me."

"There was no time." There was a grin as Lee moved in for another kiss. "Plus it's fun surprising you."

"I am surprised." But it was necessarily to let Lee down gently. "And while I'm not against having sex in nature, as long as no one is around, I'm really not interested when it's so cold out."

"Actually, I was more thinking of taking the opportunity to sneak back to the lodge." Now that was an idea that Richard could get behind, especially when Lee leaned forward and whispered the next part to him. "And if you're up to it, I was really hoping you'd be interested in fucking me for a change."

His cock twitched, he was definitely interested in that. "How soon can we get back?"

"I studied the map earlier," Richard did remember Lee doing that while they were in the process of renting the snowmobiles, "this way is a short cut."

With a final kiss Lee returned to his snowmobile and a few minutes later they were off again. Approximately ten minutes after that they were returning their snowmobiles and making their way back to the lodge.

They stumbled into the room, hands groping for each other, pulling at clothing, their mouths only leaving each other for seconds at a time. Beyond them loomed the bed but at the moment it seemed so far away.

"Fuck, I don't think I can make it," Richard complained as he shoved down Lee's ski pants and the jeans he wore underneath so he could grasp his cock, pumping it. Lee still wore a heavy sweater, not that it mattered since it didn't get in the way as Richard kissed his neck, biting gently, and then not so gently.

"We don't have too," Lee panted as he nodded his head towards his discarded jacket at their feet, a groan escaping him in the process. "I may have lifted some things this morning before I left."

"You're amazing," Richard replied, kissing him hard before reaching down to grab the jacket, fishing through the pockets until he found the lube and a condom that Lee had stashed their earlier. 

"I do like to think ahead."

With another kiss, Richard grabbed his shoulders and turned him around, taking a brief moment to grind against his bare ass as Lee propped his hands against the nearby closed door. A brief thought went through Richard's head about hoping no one was passing by but it quickly vanished from his head as he realized he simple didn't care. Not when he had a desperate Lee before him who was begging for attention. Normally Richard was perfectly content letting his partner taking the lead in the bedroom, but every now and then he was consumed by a desire to dominate and at the moment he wanted nothing more to fulfill Lee's earlier request about wanting to be fucked.

Coating his fingers with lube, his prep on Lee was quick, using two fingers to loosen him up, not wanting to waste any more time. He nipped at the back of Lee's neck, who let out a low moan, it was a sound that made Richard grow harder. With his free hand Richard touched Lee's hip, before sliding it up under the sweater he wore, it was tempting to remove the sweater but it was also tempting to just leave it on.

"Get a move on," Lee complained, thrusting his ass backwards, wanting to be further touched and Richard laughed, at least he wasn't the only impatient one.

Still fully clothed, Richard wasn't going to waste time undressing, that could be done later, in the back of his mind he was already thinking about a second round, how nice it would be to have Lee completely naked on his back. 

Although once he got it would of his system he wasn't entirely against the idea of Lee fucking him again. 

In fact that sounded very good indeed.

His cock was straining for freedom. He undid the buckles of his ski pants and shoved them down his legs before opening undoing the button on his jeans and sliding down the zipper, moving the jeans and his underwear down far enough on his legs to release his cock before moving forward to rub it against Lee's ass.

"Don't tease."

"I won't." While it would be fun, he was too desperate, he needed to be inside Lee. Teasing could come at another time and once again he thought about what might happen later.

He tore open the condom package and quickly placed it over his cock, quickly using the lube to slick himself up, before grabbing Lee's hips and thrusting forward, wasting little time before bottoming out, burying himself deep inside Lee. It was an incredible feeling.

For a brief moment he worried he had gone too fast, but the pleasurable moans from Lee told him that he hadn't made a mistake. He pulled out until just the tip remained before thrusting back in with the same speed, loving how Lee felt around his cock. He was so warm and tight. 

"Harder," Lee begged, the plea escaping from his mouth with a groan.

He could do harder.

Pulling almost all the way out again, he pulled Lee towards him as he shoved his way back inside the tight warmth, quickly repeating the process, loving the little moans and whines that Lee was making. 

He bit sharply down on the back of Lee's neck before running his tongue over the spot, soothing the ache. There would be a mark later, and that was what he wanted, a mark that only he would know to look for. 

"Give me more," Lee panted, spurning him on. "I need it."

Reaching around he grabbed Lee's cock and began jerking him off. He wanted Lee to experience all the pleasures in the world, the same pleasures that Lee had shown him twice already, and hopefully many more times. 

"Fuck that feels so good, Rich."

Richard knew exactly how he felt. "You feel good too."

He was so close to coming but he wanted to last until Lee got his release first. He pressed hard into Lee, his cock moving against his prostate, he could feel every little shudder from Lee and knew he was close.

"Rich…"

"It's okay," Richard panted. "Let yourself go."

With a final thrust and jerk of his cock, Lee came, dirtying his sweater in the process but that didn't matter to Richard at the moment, instead he was more concerned with his own release. Taking hold of Lee's hips once again, it took him only a few more thrusts before he was spilling his seed into the condom. His head falling forward, touching Lee's back.

"Fuck."

"Yeah," Lee agreed with a laugh as Richard pulled out of him, disposing the condom in a nearby trashcan. Lee then looked down at himself in disgust and pulled his sweater over his head, leaving him only wearing a t-shirt and his pants that was still around his ankles. "Although I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this."

"You can borrow one of mine." Richard didn't mind, actually the idea of Lee wearing his clothes was quite appealing.

Lee grinned. "I'm going to hold you to that promise." He then pulled off his t-shirt and reached down to undo the laces of his boots. "But right now, I think I don't want to wear anything at all." That definitely seemed like a good idea to Richard who began removing his boots as well.

Once they were naked and cleaned up they gathered on the bed, heat from the thermostat warming the room so that they didn't have to use blankets to keep themselves warm. It was nice, lounging together, not a care in the world, comfortable with their nudity together.

They chatted, about nothing in particular, that's one thing that Richard liked about Lee, they never had run out of conversations to talk about, even if it was just random topics or telling stories from their childhood.

At one point Richard's eyes fell to Lee's cock laying limp between his legs. Involuntarily his mouth started to water at the thought of it. He was hungry for it, even just a short taste would be good enough. 

"You don't have too," Lee said as he shifted closer, his intention clear as he lowered his head. "But I'm not going to say no."

"I want too," Richard replied before swallowing the cock whole. 

He breathed in Lee's scent before he began moving his mouth, wrapping a hand around the base in the process as he created a steady rhythm, his tongue running along the underside of the cock. 

"Fuck, that's good," Lee said and he felt as one of Lee's hands went to his hair, running his fingers through it.

Encouraged, he took just the tip in his mouth, he gently sucked, tasting the first bit of pre-come, before swallowing the entire thing once again, his free hand going to Lee's balls, rolling them in his palm, humming contently, loving the feeling of having Lee in mouth.

But it wasn't the only thing he wanted in his mouth.

With one last lick of the tip of Lee's cock, he moved his mouth lower, licking at Lee's balls before gently sucking one gently into his mouth, holding it softly, not wanting to cross over from pleasure to pain, but judging from the moans coming from Lee that wasn't a problem. He then repeated the process with the other ball, before letting go and moving back up to the cock where his hand hand been working on it the entire time, where he replaced the hand with his mouth once again.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Lee said and Richard felt as a thumb stroke through his beard.

Blinking open his eyes he looked up at Lee, their eyes meeting, and Richard felt the first pulse of Lee's release as he came into his mouth, which Richard was quick to swallow, only finally pulling away when Lee had finished softening.

"So good," Lee said as he pulled Richard up for a kiss, their lips lingering together as Richard laid half on top of him. "Tell me what I can do to return the favour."

"Nothing right now," he replied as he laid his head down on Lee's shoulder. "Just hold me for now."

"That I can do." Bringing up his arms, he hugged Richard, holding him close. "Let's just make this moment last as long as possible."

They stayed like that for a while, later getting up for a shower. As the water fell down upon them, Lee held Richard from behind, one arm wrapped frimly around his waist, the other jerking him off until he was screaming Lee's name. As Richard came he collasped against Lee as the water washed away all evidence of their latest activity.

Afterwards they dressed, Richard making sure to get Lee a clean sweater like he promised. "I'll sneak the dirty one back to the cabin later," Lee said, purposely leaving his jacket behind so he'd have an excuse to return to Richard's room after dinner. "And I'll make sure you get this back before tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Lee could keep it for the rest of the trip as far as he was concerned.

"We're leaving tomorrow." Lee gave him a confuse look. "I thought you knew that. We're just here for the week."

"I'm here for a week too." Mentally Richard quickly counted up the days. Had it really already been a week? It had. "I have to go home tomorrow," he said as it dawned upon him. He thought he had more time. 

Lee grinned as he took hold of Richard's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Maybe I should just keep the sweater then. That way I have an excuse to visit you."

"Do it," Richard replied without thinking. Anything to see Lee again. There was already a sinking feeling in his stomach that after tomorrow Lee would disappear out of his life forever. "Even if I never get it back, that's okay." 

"Are you sure?" Richard nodded his head. At least Lee would then have something to remember him by. Richard would ask for something but he didn't want to seem pathetic. "Thank you."

Leaning forward Lee pressed their lips together. "And while I really would like to take you back to the bed right now, I actually am pretty hungry."

"We did skip lunch." His smile was weak and he hoped that Lee didn't notice, he didn't want to ruin their last night together.

"It was worth it."

It was.

They shared one last kiss before heading down to the lobby where they were met by Lee's family. "That's a new sweater," Susie quieted said to them with a small grin as she walked with them into the restaurant. 

"It's a Christmas present," Lee lied. 

"Well it looks very nice on you."

The restaurant was still set up from the holidays with the special from yesterday being sold at a discounted price in addition to the return of the regular menu. Once again Richard found himself next to Lee who's warm hand remained on his thigh for the majority of the meal.

Eventually the conversation turned to the trip home and Richard was forced to put on a fake smile. One thing he did learn however was they were all on the same small flight to Calgary where they would then go their separate ways, the Pace family to Texas, Richard to New York.

It was one of the most miserable dinners that Richard had ever experienced. 

He couldn't even be properly sad about it, instead being forced to have a friendly smile through the meal and engage in normal conversation, trying to pretend that there was nothing wrong even though he could feel his happiness slipping away by the minute. It was not fair. He finally found someone he cared about and he was about to lose him.

After dinner, Richard and Lee returned to his room where Lee gathered his jacket. "I wish I could spend the night," he said, sounding apologetic "But it's going to be an early morning and I don't think I'll have time to sneak out. Plus knowing my mom she's not going to get much sleep tonight since she's always like this when we travel."

"It's okay." But it wasn't okay. "I understand." That part was at least the truth. 

"Meet me for breakfast tomorrow before we leave?" 

"Sure."

Reaching forward, Lee wrapped his arms around Richard's waist. "You seemed off tonight, is everything okay?"

Lying would be so easy, make a joke claiming he was simply tired because Lee had worn him out earlier, but he had a feeling that Lee would be able to see through him if he had said that. "I just didn't realize this was our last day here."

"Just as long as you're okay." Leaning forward he pressed a gentle kiss to Richard's lips before moving away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The thing that Richard most wanted to do was reach out of him and beg him not to go. "Okay."

It was only afterwards that Richard realized Lee had left his own sweater, the one they had gotten dirty earlier, behind. Holding it close, he hugged it before dropping it into his own pile of dirty clothes. 

The next morning breakfast went by fast. Everyone except Richard was eager to get going and he barely had time to talk to Lee before he found himself back up in the room that was soon not going to be his room much longer. 

He put off packing until the last moment (not that there was much to do since his dirty clothes was already packed away), he didn't to admit it was his last day there, the last time he would see Lee for who knew how long and it was to say good-bye. Would they even feel the same way once they returned home to their normal lives? Or would he be forgotten about once someone new and lived nearby came into Lee's life? Lee was so incredible he probably had tons of men throwing themselves at him. It was amazing he was currently single.

It was almost time to check out when he finally zipped his suitcase closed and did one final check of the room to make sure he hadn't missed anything before heading down to the lobby to find that Lee and his family were in the process checking out. The only ones missing were the kids and their father but glancing out the window Richard found them building a snowman. 

"Hey," Lee said, a brilliant smile on his face. Normally it would instantly cheer Richard up but currently he held a lump in his stomach as he realized he didn't know the next time he would see that smile. "I was just about to call you. We have to take two taxis anyway so do you want to come with us?"

Despite everything Richard found a way to give a small smile. "Sure." At least he could spend a bit more time with Lee. 

"Good."

But it was not good and Lee seemed to know it as his expression softened and he took a step closer, reaching out and gently rubbing Richard's arm, not caring they were in the presence of his family. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"I'm going to miss this place." It was true, he was going to miss spending his time with Lee, but at least he still had his sweater stored safely among his own clothes. So far Lee made no move to ask for it back. He would wash it when he got home (he was weird but not that weird) and even though it would no longer smell of Lee at least he would still have it as a memento. "I think this is the best vacation I've been on."

There was a grin from Lee. "We just have to make the next one even better."

He so desperately wanted to go on another vacation with Lee. Somewhere where it was just the two of them where they could create memorizes and continue to explore a new life together.

"Somewhere warm?" It was nice to fantasize. "Or at least somewhere where we didn't have to wear ski suits the entire time."

Lee grinned, speaking quietly. "It is easier to grab your ass when you're not wearing multiple layers of clothes."

"You do not get to talk about multiple layers of clothes."

Lee laughed which drew the attention of his father. "What are you two whispering about over here?"

"I'm being mocked for the fact I feel the cold."

"Most people in your position would have learned to adjust by now," the man replied before walking off to rejoin the rest of the family who had finished checking out. 

"My turn," Richard said with a small smile as he moved over to the desk. A few minutes later the process was over and it was on the tip of his tongue to ask Lee what his father met when the kids came rushing inside to inform them that the taxis were ready.

They piled into the minivans and Richard was prepared at any moment to be told there was no room for him and he'd have to find his own ride. But somehow they all fitted with Richard, Lee, his parents and sister in one van while the kids and David in the other van with all the luggage piled high. 

"I knew we'd all fit," Lee confidently said, his hand on Richard's leg, hidden from view where they sat next to each other in the back of the van.

The drive to the airport wasn't a long one. The lodge had been remote, but it was not entirely removed from civilization. When the vans came to a stop everyone and everything was unloaded and they sorted the luggage, making sure everyone had the right bag. Richard in particular kept an eye on his own bag as it was picked up and put on the ground, it wasn't that he didn't trust anyone from Lee's family but he really hoped the didn't accidentally leave open the pouch that contained the condoms and the lube. He'd never live it down if either one fell out. 

Fortunately he was worried for nothing as his suitcase made it into the airport without incident and Richard was able to recheck the pouch to make sure it was indeed zipped shut before handing it over so it could be loaded onto the plane. And in short order they themselves had boarded. 

"Nervous?" Lee asked, sitting down in the seat next to Richard. 

"Sad mostly." There was really no point in trying to deny it. Taking hold of Lee's hand he gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm going to miss this."

"Hey," Lee said, leaning close and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm not going to let you go just because we're no longer here. I know I fell quickly for you, which isn't normal for me, but my feelings are real. I care a lot about you and I'm really do see us having a future together."

"I want to believe that," he admitted, "it's something I also want. I'm just worried it won't happen."

"Trust me, it'll work out."

Before Richard could reply a chorus of "Uncle Lee come sit with us!" rang out causing Lee to sigh. "I love them but they really do have bad timing. Try to relax and we'll talk more later."

Richard's heart sank as he watched Lee get up to move where the kids were sitting. He wanted to cry out, beg for Lee to stay seated next to him but he knew that would just make him pathetic. What kind of person got jealous of kids? Even it it meant he wouldn't get to spent time with Lee for the few precious hours they had left together. But he couldn't help but feel that way. He just wanted Lee and nothing more. But the decision to go sit with the kids made it obvious to him that he'd always be second in Lee's life to his family. It hurt that Lee would choose them over him, he understood why, they were his family and Richard was just some guy he met a few days ago, but Lee could see his family every day if he wanted while Richard was going to be a few hours plane ride away. 

Maybe it would be better to just break up now. 

But was it even breaking up if they were never officially together?

The flight to Calgary was a lonely one for Richard. He tried to not think about Lee and the bad thoughts of never seeing him again running through his head. Every so often he'd glance over his shoulder to see Lee laughing with his niece and nephew and his heart broke, he couldn't take Lee away from them. It would be selfish of him.

It was a relief when they finally landed.

Even if it mean it was time to go their separate ways. 

"I should find my gate," Richard announced, trying to put on a brave face as they stood together in the airport, trying to determine which way they needed to go. "It was nice meeting everyone."

"You don't want to wait with us?" Lee asked, looking sad, which almost made Richard change his mind, but instead he remained firm. 

"I'm sure, I'm not very good with good-byes."

Especially not with ones where he felt like he was going to cry. 

"Well, in this family we hug when we say our good-byes," Lee's mother announced, opening her arms and Richard embraced her, wondering how much she knew. Mothers had a way of knowing things about their children. "Try to make it down to Texas for Easter, you're more than welcomed to come."

He ended up hugging or shaking the hands of them all, saving Lee for last, who he pulled into a tight hug, not caring the others were there. He was going to miss Lee. In such a short amount of time he came to care about him so much. 

"I'll see you later," Lee whispered to him. 

_When?_ Richard wanted to ask. All Lee had to do was say the words and he'd book a flight to Texas for the next weekend. 

But he didn't ask. 

"Okay," He whispered back before grabbing his carry on and walking away. 

He found his gate easily enough and while he waited, he tried not to think about Lee, figuring he'd cry if he thought about Lee more than he already was. Instead he listened to music to distract himself until it was time to board. 

The flight was not a busy one. It didn't take Richard long to find his seat and get settled, watching as the rest of the passengers, eventually becoming bored with that and instead looked out the window, wishing they would soon be in the air, barely paying attention when someone sat down next to him. 

"I'm going to miss them but it'll be good to get home."

Snapping his head around Richard stared at Lee in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I know this isn't my seat but I already cleared it with the flight attendant, it was going to be empty anyway." Lee grinned as he took hold of Richard's hand. "Don't make me switch again."

"That's not what I mean." He was confused and he gripped Lee's hand like his life depended on it, afraid if he let go Lee would disappear. "Why aren't you on the plane to Texas?" 

"Oh, right," Lee said with a sigh as he grew serious, "I tried explaining it a few times but kept getting interrupted. Yes, I am from Texas, it will always be a place I call home, but I've lived in New York since I was twenty-two, it's also my home."

This time the tears did fall, a slow trickle from Richard's eyes. Not from sadness but rather tears of joy and relief. He wasn't going to be losing Lee and that knowledge was a bit overwhelming for him at the moment.

"Hey," Lee softly said, cupping Richard's face to pull him close and wiped at his tears. "Don't cry."

"You don't know how much it means to me that I'm not losing you." Leaning into to the touch he closed his eyes. "I was so lonely until I met you."

"You don't have to be lonely anymore."

And that was such a good thing to hear. 

Opening his eyes he kissed Lee, taking his time, not caring there was an audience. Unfortunately it ended too soon as Lee pulled back and gave him a serious look. "There is just one last thing we need to get sorted out before the plane lands."

"What?" He smiled softly, not concerned for once, he already could tell when Lee was really being serious and when he was only pretending to be. 

"Do I crash at your place tonight or do you crash at mine?"

Richard laughed. "I'm sure we can figure something out." They kissed again before they settled back in their seats. "So is there anything else you haven't told me?"

"Depends," Lee said as he took hold of Richard's hand once again and gave it a squeeze. "Have I told you of my desire to find someone to settle down with, adopt a dog or two and maybe a cat?"

"That sounds like a good plan." Growing thoughtful, Richard remained quiet for a minute. "And definitely two dogs."

Lee chuckled. "Okay." 

Maybe it was too early to plan their future together, Richard's family and his friends would think he was crazy and maybe they were right but it didn't feel crazy, instead it felt completely right. What started out as a miserable trip really was the best decision of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a labour of love so kudos and comments are welcomed. :)


End file.
